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墨書 Inktalez
"Old Shao, did you really just bring me here to eat?" Yuan Jun looked helplessly at the street filled with fresh vegetables and fruits.
"There are so many varieties here, and they all look fresh. What more do you want?" Old Shao replied as he walked into the wide alley.
"If I were a rabbit, that would be perfect," Yuan Jun said with a smile.
This was the nearest vegetable market to Longling District, the same one that Stepmother had visited earlier in the morning. On the way here, Old Shao had carefully calculated that, given their leisurely pace, it took them about ten minutes to arrive.
Old Shao spoke up, "We strolled over here in twelve minutes. If someone were running, it would probably take only four or five minutes."
"Driving to the kindergarten, even with traffic, takes only about ten minutes. If we start counting from eight o'clock, then when Stepmother dropped off the kids at the market, it would be around eight ten," Old Shao continued. "If we consider Stepmother as a suspect, she definitely had enough time to commit the crime."
Yuan Jun touched a nearby round eggplant and said, "Why do I feel like you and Jiang He are both suspecting Stepmother?"
Old Shao replied, "Because there are too many perfect alibis. Whether it's the security guard's testimony or Stepmother's text messages, even Ge Dongai's lost access card reflects this point. More importantly, not everyone knows so much about Ge Dongyun's home."
Old Shao turned to Yuan Jun and said, "If it weren't for Guan Deng, we wouldn't even know that the access control system has a simple storage function. The murderer wouldn't know either; even someone living in this house might not know. But if someone does know, they would naturally use this as their alibi."
"Secondly," Old Shao continued, "locking Crescent Lock with a cup full of water is similar."
"Stepmother practices yoga and swimming; this distance wouldn't take her long to cover," Old Shao stood still, stroking his chin. "At that time, Ge Dongyun lost a lot of blood; the murderer must have gotten blood on them. After leaving through the second-floor window, was there any blood on the windowsill?"
Jiang He looked at Old Shao and replied, "Not a trace. This means she changed clothes before leaving."
Old Shao tapped his head and said, "Exactly. The murderer calmly changed clothes and then left."
"Let's pick some vegetables; I'll cook for you when we get back to the police dormitory," Old Shao said with a smile.
Old Shao's culinary skills were undeniably impressive. Watching him cook was a visual delight; the rhythmic sound of chopping filled the air as he swiftly maneuvered his knife. The potato slices on the cutting board were as thin as cicada wings, a feat that could only be achieved with years of experience.
Xu Yiman remarked, "Old Shao, you must have cooked a lot when you were younger."
Old Shao nodded and replied, "When I was young, I was much more capable than Yuan Jun. Catching those twisted murderers was as easy as chopping vegetables."
As Xu Yiman deftly picked up a piece of broccoli with her fingers, she asked, "Any updates on Ge Dongyun's case?"
Yuan Jun, slumped over in his chair with his head tilted, said, "Old Shao and Jiang He suspect it was the Stepmother. She's the only one familiar with the Ge family—she knows the access control system, the surveillance in the area, Crescent Lock, and how to create an alibi using time discrepancies."
Xu Yiman blinked and thought for a moment before responding, "That shouldn't be the case. From my interactions with the Stepmother, she seems to care for Ge Dongyun immensely—almost more than her own children. It’s hard to believe she would do something like this."
Yuan Jun remained slouched at the table. "You're right, but think about it—her affection for Ge Dongyun is excessive."
At that moment, Old Shao finished preparing the last dish. As he brought the food to the table, he said, "Aside from a certain degree of familial bond and kindness, anyone who treats another person well usually has some ulterior motive."
He removed his apron and sat down. "Especially when someone's kindness reaches such an extreme level. It doesn't seem like simple goodwill; it feels more like flattery. But what her true motives are can only be uncovered through further investigation."
Old Shao's cooking was excellent; no wonder Xu Yiman playfully noted that it was a result of Old Shao being single all his life.
After everyone finished their meal, Ge Dongyun's father, Father Ge, finally arrived at the police station.
Dressed sharply in a suit with all buttons fastened tightly, Father Ge entered the conference room without even a brief introduction and immediately demanded, "What on earth happened? How could a perfectly fine girl be killed in her own bedroom?"
It seemed Father Ge already knew about Ge Dongyun's death; his sorrow over his daughter's passing had transformed into anger directed at others. His brows furrowed fiercely as if he could swallow anyone whole with his glare.
Old Shao did not rush to answer his question but instead invited him to take a seat.
After filling his teapot with water, Old Shao finally spoke, "My daughter died in her own bedroom. For any father, this is an immeasurable sorrow. It seems you already understand the circumstances, so I won't beat around the bush."
The old teapot was not insulated, and the metal exterior was quite hot. Old Shao gently touched it and quickly withdrew his fingers. "Through our investigation, we have learned how the crime was committed. However, identifying the murderer requires your assistance. Information about Ge Dongyun, her biological mother, and her stepmother is crucial."
"I asked you to investigate the murderer of my daughter; what does her mother have to do with this?" Father Ge slammed his hand on the table, questioning.
Yuan Jun felt a surge of anger and was about to erupt when he heard Old Shao say, "First of all, it wasn't you who asked us to investigate. Secondly, this relates to who killed your daughter. I understand that as a prominent businessman like you, you're used to calling the shots. But when you're sitting in your office, don't dictate to someone who is on the front lines."
"Because in this matter, we are the professionals, and you are not," Old Shao said as he blew on his hands. "So the questions I will ask you shortly are very important, and you must answer them honestly."
Without giving Father Ge a chance to refuse, Old Shao continued, "Now, please tell me that information because I want to help you solve this case."
Old Shao's words were not particularly aggressive, but combined with his calm tone, they made it difficult for anyone to refute.
"What do you want to know?" Father Ge finally asked.
Old Shao smiled and nodded but then turned and asked a very pointed question: "Did you cheat during your marriage?"
Ge Dongyun lacked even the most basic respect for her stepmother, Ms. Wang. The reason for this disrespect stemmed from Ge Dongyun's belief that Ms. Wang was a homewrecker. When her mother fell ill, Ms. Wang took advantage of the situation to insert herself into her parents' lives, and shortly after her biological mother passed away, they got married.
Father Ge did not expect Old Shao to ask such a sharp question and began to evade: "That's not how it was; Wang Jing was initially just my secretary. I recruited her while at Dongxing University; she had good professional skills and communication abilities. After working for several years at the company in lower-level positions, she proved capable and attractive. You know how it is in business; we need someone like that."
"What I asked was when you two confirmed your romantic relationship," Old Shao stated directly.
Father Ge coughed twice and began to speak, "Of course, this happened after my first wife sadly passed away. At that time, my business was busy, and my wife was ill; my daily life was basically a mess. Wang Jing, my current wife, helped me a lot in life and became closer to me."
"A while before my first wife passed away, Wang Jing accompanied me to visit her. It was during that time that we officially confirmed our relationship, and my first wife agreed." Father Ge continued, "So there was never any extramarital affair. I loved my first wife very much, but she didn't have that fortune."
Xu Yiman interjected, "You two have an age difference of about fifteen years, and you also have a child. Don't you think she might be with you for your money?"
He shook his head and replied, "No. During the time before my wife's death, she knew I was only forty-five this year and that I would have other wives in the future. She was worried about Ge Dongyun; she feared that her stepmother would not treat Ge Dongyun well. So, in the presence of a notary, I designated the inheritance rights of my company to Ge Dongyun. In other words, when I pass away, the entire company will belong to Ge Dongyun."
"Have you considered what would happen if you had another child in the future?" Old Shao asked.
Father Ge nodded and then shook his head. "This is what my first wife considered. The company will belong to Ge Dongyun in the future. If the stepmother treats Ge Dongyun well, then Ge Dongyun can naturally give her money or even shares. But if the stepmother treats her poorly, then even if Ge Dongyun doesn't give her a penny in the future, it is legally permissible."
"It’s obvious that Ge Dongyun thinks of her stepmother as just someone who disrupts other people's families," Old Shao said as he blew on the steam rising from his tea cup. "So does Ge Dongyun know this?"
Father Ge shook his head and said, "No, she is just a fourteen or fifteen-year-old child; there’s no need to tell her these things. Only the three of us know about this: myself and my two wives."
At that moment, Father Ge suddenly became emotional. "Actually, it's not just you; many people look at me and my wife with colored glasses when they see us. Regardless of how our feelings are, as long as I am fifteen years older than her, that is our original sin. She is a wonderful woman with her own pursuits."
"After my first wife passed away, she took on all the responsibilities of caring for Ge Dongyun and maintaining this family. If it were for my money, why would she do that? With her abilities and age, she could easily find someone wealthier than me without having to choose marriage with me."
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